Italy Allocates £30 Million to Train Workers, Mitigate Risks of Job Automation

In a concerted effort to empower the unemployed population and address the growing concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics replacing human workers, Italy has set aside a substantial budget of £30 million ($33 million). This significant fund aims to bolster the skills and expertise of individuals seeking employment opportunities. It also seeks to support to workers at risk of displacement by advancing technologies.

The Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale (FRD), an initiative launched by the Italian government to promote digital skills among its citizens, recently revealed a disconcerting statistic. Within the age group of 16 to 74, a staggering 54 per cent of Italians lack fundamental basic digital skills. This percentage highlights a considerable disparity when compared to the European Union average of 46 per cent.

According to the FRD, the fund will be shared in two ways. £10 million out of the total fund will be to bolster the skills and expertise of those whose jobs are at risk of diminishing in relevance by artificial intelligence and technological innovation. The £20 million remaining will be to support those who are economically inactive and unemployed to help boost their chances of getting into the labour market.

AI could disrupt the labour market

The FRD has hinted that several jobs risk automation, especially the office support, administration, services, transport, production and retail sectors. Meanwhile, the widespread use of artificial intelligence and automation and the development of technologies like ChatGPT has drawn attention from the government and lawmakers in many countries.

Artificial Intelligence poses a potential threat 

Experts believe that there should be special regulations governing the use of AI because of its potential threat to education and jobs, as well as national security. ChatGPT was inaccessible in Italy for about four weeks till OpenAI dealt with the security issues the data protection authority of the country raised in April.

Photo Credit: Pixabay